DIY Dried Orange Slices & their Festive Uses

When it comes to Christmas decorations you can’t beat DIY dried orange slices for their festive uses and heavenly scent. Before I show you how to use orange slices as festive decor I’m going to explain how to dry them. 

What you'll need:
  • oranges
  • flat baking tray
  • wire tray
  • greaseproof/parchment paper
  • kitchen roll
How to:
  1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius(fan), 140 degrees Celsius (conventional), 275 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas mark 1.
  2. Cover wire tray with parchment paper and place on flat baking tray. Having them raised up helps air circulate around the slices speeding up the drying process.
  3. Cut oranges into slices approx 2cm thick.
  4. Pat dry both sides of the slices using kitchen roll to remove excess juice. This will help them dry more quickly.
  5. Lay orange slices down on the covered wire tray.
  6. Place in oven for 3 hours making sure to turn slices over every 30 minutes to ensure even drying.
  7. Leave to cool down before using for any projects.
slices of oranges
BEFORE
plate of dried oranges
AFTER

Now that you have the orange slices dried perfectly these are some ways you can use them as festive decorations.

 

1.Ornaments for the tree-string some jute twine or ribbon through the orange slices and hang them on your Christmas tree.

orange slices hanging from tree branch

2. Garland-string together a number of orange slices to create a garland. Hang in front of your fireplace for a cute scented look.

orange slices connected by thread to make a garland

3.Add the individual slices to wreaths or garlands you already have. This can really elevate faux greenery especially into something unique. The orange colour really pops against the green.

4.Table centrepiece:add orange slices to greenery to make a floral centrepiece for your Christmas dinner table.

christmas table centrepiece

5. Gift wrapping:use them as part of your gift wrapping! Attach with ribbon to wrapped presents for a unique gift look.

christmas gift wrapping with orange slices attached

So as you can see dried orange slices are super simple to make and have so many uses. They will last 2 years if stored correctly in an airtight container. This makes them a very sustainable and cheap festive decoration.

Go ahead and enjoy being creative this Christmas! If you need some help getting in the Christmas mood check out another one of  my blog post for tips here.